Untitled - Electric Scotland

1856-60] LETTER FROM DR. PUSEY 249
Westminster Abbey and St. Paul s, and Dr. Pusey, on
April 26, 1860, thus refers to the ritual controversy :
"In regard to my friends, perhaps I regret
the acts to
which your Lordship alludes as deeply as you do. I am in this
strange position, that my name is made a byword for that with
which I never had any sympathy, that which the writers of the
Tracts, with whom in early days I was associated, always depre
cated, any innovations in the way of conducting the service, any
thing of ritualism, or especially any revival of disused vestments.
I have had no office in the Church which would entitle me to
speak publicly. If I had spoken it would have been to assume
the character of one of the leaders of a party, which I would
not do. Of late years, when ritualism has become more promi
nent, I have looked out for a natural opportunity of dissociating
myself from it, but have not found one. I have been obliged,
therefore, to confine myself to private protests which have been
unlistened to, or to a warning to the young clergy from the
University pulpit, against self-willed changes in ritual, Altogether
I have looked with sorrow at the crude way in which some
doctrines have been put forward, without due pains to prevent
misunderstanding, and ritual has been forced upon the people,
unexplained and without their consent. I soon regretted the
attempt which the late Bishop made, and which was defeated.
Had I been listened to, these miserable disturbances in St.
George s in the East would have been saved. . . . May God
prosper your Lordship s plans for the conversion of these longneglected
souls. 1 From what I have seen and heard I believe
that He has much people in that place. I am your Lordship s
faithful servant,
E. B. PUSEY."
This refers to the special evangelistic efforts which the Bishop was then
inaugurating. See p. 255.